Small mobile equipment such as riding lawn mowers, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and the like are often transported from place to place in the bed of pickup trucks, vans, trailers or other vehicles. It is possible to physically lift such items into a truck bed, for example, but more than one individual is usually needed and injuries can result from the effort. As a consequence, foldable ramps have been developed for loading such items which generally resemble a ladder having opposed side rails connected by a number of spaced rungs. One end of the ramp rests against the truck bed or ramp, and the other end contacts the ground. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,773.
There are several considerations in the design of foldable ramps to make them practical and user friendly. Weight is one important factor. The ramp must be easy to position against a vehicle or trailer and store. For example, spaced rungs are preferable to a continuous ramp surface in order to reduce weight. Additionally, the ramp must be long enough to provide a relatively gradual slope or angle between the ground and the vehicle or trailer so that a riding lawn mower, ATV or the like may be safely driven up the ramp.
In most designs, foldable ramps are formed in two sections connected by a hinge. This allows the ramp to be unfolded for use and folded in a relatively compact configuration for storage. The hinge connection between the two ramp sections has presented problems in prior designs. The hinge must be light weight yet strong, and easy to fabricate. The hinge element shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,773, for example, is difficult and expensive to fabricate. There is a need for improved hinge designs for foldable ramps.